Accelerator for internal combustion engines



May 10, 1932. P. G. FRAZIER- 1,857,448

ACCELERATOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oc't. 7, 1929 Pearl 6-. Fro z'er 2 MW Q Patented May 10, 1932 PEARL'G. 'ERAZIER, or P013: C'ITY, IowA ACCELERATOR non IivrnRNAL'coMBUsrIoN ENGINES Application filed Oetober 7, 1929. Serial No. 397,902.

. This invention relates toimprovements in accelerating mechanism for internal combusr tion engines, especially designed to be used in connection with automobile engines.-

The object of my invention is to provide an accelerating mechanism of simple, durable and inexpensive construction and provided with a movable device for controlling the care buretor throttle valve, said movable member to be operated otherwise than by the operators foot so that the foot is free to operate thebrake pedal, and at the same time relieve the foot of the strainusually experienced. in the operation of'the ordinary foot controlled accelerator. V: More specifically itisthe objectjof my in: vention to provide an accelerator mechanism including an operating lever capable of being adjusted to various operating positions, whereby it'may be operated either by the side movement of the operators knee when adjusted to one position of its movement, or operated by the operatorshandwhen adjusted to a position adjacent .to the steering wheel. A further object isto provide in an; accelerator, including a movable operatingleveradapted to be operated in a number of 1ts adjusted positions, improved means whereby the operating lever may be moved to an inacces sibleposition. 7 r e, i My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of-thevarious parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplatedare attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which:' I Figure 1 is a sectional view of the forward end of an automobilebody showing the manner in which my improved'accelera'tor is applied. y

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 22' ofFigure 1. I Figure 8 is an enlarged idetail sectional view taken on the line 3 3-of Figure 1. I, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the operating lever. M I

Figure 5 is a perspectiveviewof a portion of the mechanism for imparting movement from said operating lever to the throttle valve of thecarburetor, 1 7

Figure 6 is a perspectiveview of the yieldablesdevice for retaining the operatinglever in its several adjusted positions. 5

Figure 7 is a slightlymodified-formof my device ;.I 1 -"Figure 8 is a topviewof oneend of the operating lever and the rock shaft to whichthe operatinglevenis attached as applied to the modified form, of my device. Figurej9 is a sectional View taken on the line,9+9;of Figure S, r p a Figural-O is; a, detail sectional. view taken on the line 1010 of FigureB w 1 In the drawings Ihave used the reference numeral-10 to indicate an automobile frame in which the internal combustion engine 11 is mounted, and. fprovided with the usual carburetor;12. Said carburetor has fa thottle Z0 valve 13 which is moved to an open or closed position by means ofa throttle arm 14.1The frame 10, is also provided with an instrument board 15', steering column 16, a steering wheel 17, a foot board 18 and a brake pedal 19. all of the ordinary construction V, The-instrument'board 15 is provided with anopening 20 in which is mounted a short bearing21.. One endof the bearing is provided with-ahead 22'designed to rest against the rear face ofjthe instrument board 15.

The sleeve 21 is screw threaded and provided with lock nut 23 designed to rest against the front face of the instrument board to lock thebearing2l in position 85 i Botativelymounted inthe bearing 21 is a rock'shaft 24 having its outer end enlarged to form a head 25 which is providedwith a 1ongitudin al slot 26 torreceiv'e a tongue 27 of the operating lever 28. Said tongue is pivot-ally mounted'in the slot 26 'by'ai pivot pin 29;

.The inner endof the tongue 27 is formed concentrically with the center of the'pivot pin 29 and is provided with a series of recesses 30' to receive a ball 31slidably mounted in a re cess 32 in the forward end of the hea'd 25. A

spring. 33is placed in the recess 32 ahead of the ball 31 insuch a manner that as, the free end of the lever 28 is elevated or lowered, the 109 to a rock arm 36 carried by a shaft 37 mounted adjacent to the' upper surface of the steer= ing column 16 by means of suitable bearing members 38 and 39.

The lower end of the rock shaft 37 is provided with a rock arm "op'erativelyconnected with the throttlearm 14 by means of an adjustable link 41.

The shaft 24 is so located that when :the

operating lever 28 is moved downwardl to 'the-lowerdotted'line position'shown in igure 1, the free end of the lever 28 willthenbe supported adjacent tothe left side of the operator s left knee, so that slight side move ment of the operator-s knee toward theleft will causethe lower end of'the-lever 28' to be moved to the left against the action of the spring; 42, having one endsecured to 'the arm- 36*andthe other end secured to the-instrument' board. This movement will cause the shaft 24 to be rocked, and in'turn the shaft 37- throu-gh-thea-rms- 34 and 36 and thelink 35, and movementimpartedto the arm 14 throughthe rockarm 40 andthelinl 41. A stop pin 43 is providedfor limiting the lever 2-8fia gainst movement to the right from a normal' position by the action of the spring 42. v

' 'By this arrangement'it 'will be seen that the accelerator may be operated 'without interfering with the movement of-the foot-for controlling the clutch member 19. The oper ators foot may rest fl-at on the floor 18 if so desired without interfering with the operation ofthe'accelerator. v V

, If so desired', thefree end of the-lever 28 7 may bra moved to thepositionshownby solid lines in Figure 1, or to the upper position shown by'dotted lines; 1 If moved to thelatt'er' position, the throttle valve maythen: be co1 1trol led by the operatorsl'iandi j 5 Figures"7,*8 and Q' ilIustratea slightly'modv ified 'form ofmy= device. Thebearing-21 is protrided with atubular shaft 44 in'place' of the shaft 24'. Therforward end of the-tubular shaft is" provided with a short shaft 45 7 having a rock -ar1rr.46,=the-free end ofwhich is provided with a link 47 making pivotal connection with a rock 7 arm :48 supported-on the rock shaf-t 49." Said rook shaftis rotative'ly mounted in suitable bearings 50 car-' ried. by the front'face'of the dash board 51. One end of the rock shaft 49 is provided with a: rock arm. r52 npivotally connected to a link 53, thelower end of which makes pivotal connec tionrwith the throttle arm 14 7 The rear end of the tubular shaft 44 has a head 54 providedwith a slot 55 in which is pivotally mounted a tongue" 5610f. ahead member 57 "The'tongu'e 56 haspins 58 for by means of a spring actuated ball 62 rest- -ing in a recess 63.

" "The hollow tubular shaft 44 provides means whereby-the operating lever may be moved forwardly with the main portion of-the operating-lever back of the instrument board 15, where it will not interfere with the operator moving into. and out of theautomobile Thez said operating? levertGOLmay. be:

swung tov a number of operating-positions in the same manner as 'the operating lever28.

The lever 60'is .yieldablywsupported in its operative swinging positions bywmeansi of springfactuatedballs 64rdesigned to'y'iel'dabl-y rest in recesses 65:f'ormed in-the endrmembers of the head 54.

Thus it willbe seen that have provided an accelerator of: simple, durable: and inexpensive'c'onstruction which: may be easily 7 and quickly attached to am automaobile', andrwhen soattached; may be" operated bysa slight :sid'e movement of the operators knee; err-which may be operated by the 'operator svhand if desired, 2 relieving the 1 foot of this tiresome duty, 7 and at the sametime*1permittin"g:f-ree movement oi the foot for" actuating the clutch or brake members without: interfering with the movement ofthe throttle. Y

I claim asmy invention a 1; In combination, anautomobile carburetor having a: throttle and an arm fou: controlling the same, a support, a' gtubul'ar shaft rotative-l y mounted in said support and. extending forwardly and rearwardlyg means for ;operatively connecting the forward: end of said tubularshaft with: said-throttle lever, whereby a rocking movement ofiisai'd shaft will'cause the lever tobe moved to its open or closed position, therear end ofisaidshaft having an operating lever pivotally mounted to swing from a position in alinement with the tubular shaft to position"substantially perpendicular thereto, and means for slidably supporting said operating leverrwh'ereby itmay be moved longitudinallywithin said tubular shaft. r I 2. In combination, an automobile carburetor having a throttle and an arm for controlling the same,,a tubular. shaft rotatively mountedl andi'extending forwardly and rearv wardly,. means for operatively connecting the forward end of saidtubu lar shaft with said throttle lever, whereby a rocking movement :of said shaft will cause the lever to be moved for the convenience of the operator, means for slidably supporting said operating lever whereby it may be moved longitudinally with in said tubular shaft, and means for yield ably supporting the operating lever in any of its operating positions.

3. An accelerator device for carburetors comprising a tubular shaft, means for rotatively mounting said shaft in the dash board of an automobile, the outer end of said shaft being provided with a hollow pivoted head member, the opening of said head member being in common alinement with the opening of said tubular member when in one position of its movement, a handle member slidably mounted in said head member and adapted to be moved into said tubular member when at its rearward limit of movement and to have its inner end terminating within said head member when at its outer limit of movement, and means for operatively connecting the rear end of said tubular member with a carburetor actuating lever.

4. An accelerator device for carburetors comprising a tubular shaft, means for rotatively mounting said shaft in the dash board of an automobile, the outer end of said shaft being provided with a hollow pivoted head member, the opening of said head member being in common alinement with the opening of said tubular member, when in one position of its movement, a handle member slidably mounted in said head member and adapted to be moved into said tubular member when at its rearward limit of movement and to have its inner end terminating within said head member when at its.

dle member in said head member when at its outer limit of movement.

5. An accelerator device for carburetors comprising a tubular shaft, means for rotatively mounting said shaft in the dash board of an automobile, the outer end of said shaft being provided with a hollow pivoted head member, the opening of said head member being in common alinement with the opening of said tubular member when in one position of its movement, a handle member slidably mounted in said head member and adapted to be moved into said tubular member when at its rearward limit of movement and to have its inner end terminating within said head member when at its outer limit of movement, means for operatively connecting the rear end of said tubular member with a carburetor actuating lever, means for yieldably latching said handle member in said head member when at its outer limit of movement, and means for yieldably supporting said handle member in various angular positions of its pivotal movement when at its vided with a hollow pivoted head member, 5

the opening of said head member being in common alinement with the opening of said tubular member when in one position of its movement, a handle member slidably mounted in said head and adapted to be moved into said tubular member when at its rearward limit of movement, and to have its inner end terminating within said head when at its outer limit of movement.

7 In a device of the class described, a tubular shaft, one end of said shaftbeing provided with a hollow pivoted head member, the opening ofsaid head member being in common alinement with the opening of said tubular member when in one position of its movement, a handle member slidably mounted in said head and adapted to be moved into said tubular member when at its rearward limit of movement, and to'have its inner end I terminating within said head when at its atively connecting the other end of said tubular member with a carburetor actuating lever. I

Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 3, 1929.

PEARL G. FRAZIER. 

